Help me connect the dots.

[elgordo38]

TAT says that tourism is up by 10% and passing 30 million yet today Air Asia came out with their annual report posting a 365 MILLION loss???? With reduce fuel costs most airlines are making money hand over fist. I understand the government is not to happy with this.

Another item that caught my eye was an article in a Bangkok Newspaper saying " Phenomenal Transition in Energy. Thailand prepares for clean energy and new wave economy" yet on the television I see that their orders of coal from Australia is quadrupling. Something does not ring true in these 2 statements. Alright you armchair experts fill me in!!! The telly says that coal imports from Australia is skyrocketing all over Asia I seen one figure of over 500% for one country. So much for clean air I guess.

Edited June 1, 2016 by elgordo38

[wprime]

- There exist airlines other than Air Asia

- Overall energy consumption is increasing so an increase in fossil fuel does not necessarily contradict an increase in clean energy consumption

Edited June 1, 2016 by wprime

[Aussie69]

- There exist airlines other than Air Asia

Yep,

Increasing competition.

Air Asia expansion, particularly in long haul which is harder for LCCs.

You have to factor in the tourism/travel growth/declines in the other countries it serves.

Plus ... (unless you are only talking about Air Asia Thai) Air Asia is a Malaysian carrier, so its subject to economy in it's home country.

[oxo1947]

Hard to believe that you are quoting an airline that doesn't even fly into the UK, or most of Europe.......as reasons that tourist figures are wrong.

While Malaysia-based low-cost carrier (LCC) AirAsia X

may resume flights to European destinations, it would

probably not occur for at least another three years,

the airline’s CEO says. http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/airasia-x-will-wait-returning-europe

[razer]

Anytime you see "TAT" or "HUB" just ignore it.

[AlQaholic]

Dot..................Dot

:

:

:

Dot

[Srikcir]

TAT statistics are questionable at best and manipulated at worst, ie., to present the junta in a favorbale light.

Yes, total arrivals are increasing. But ... the ministry data is based entirely on foreign arrivals counted at immigration checkpoints (land, sea and air). It does not reflect accurately how many leisure travellers visit the country; just trips made by foreigners. It will include foreigners working in Thailand (migrants), retirees, business visitors and cross-border trade visits of more than 24 hours duration.

TAT refers to revenue receipts increasing without identifying the source of such data. It's possible that it is reporting gross receipts from sources that are assumed to be from foreign tourists. It has admitted that tourism must focus on quality of tourists and not quantity of tourists. That's because per capita revenues are misleading. For example Chinese tour packages combined with Chinese -provided transportation, Chinese tour operator proxies and stops at Chinese dedicated businesses that generate almost no revenues for Thailand.

If Thai tourism is really increasing significantly, it would create a shortage in hotel occupancy and drive room rates up. But in 2015 while the regions of North America, Europe and the Middle East saw annual room rate increases of 4-8%, the Asia region had only 2% and Thailand had less than 1%. Yet TAT cites increases in hotel occupancy as a measure of a successful tourism campaign. But that may be due to substantial room discounts even during expected peak tourist periods.

TAT cites increasing tourist revenues per capita by nationality. That level of data collection might challenge even the NSA. Probably more the result of wishful guesstimates.

TAT does not account for the increase in reverse tourism (Thai travellers going instead to overseas destinations rather domestic tourist destinations)

Finally, not admitted by TAT is how vulnerable Thai tourism is from adverse events in Thailand (terrorism and political/economic upheaval) and from other parts of the world.

[spacemand]

Competition for AirAsia have increased in the last few years maybe thats the reason.

When I moved close to Ubon there were 2 daily Thai Airways flights, then Air Asia moved in and had at a time 5 daily flights I think, then Nok Air and another company moved in on the route, now Air Asia have 2 of something like 13 daily flights on the route from 4 different companies.

[Brer Fox]

The truth is never where you think you find it in Thailand. It is always somewhere else hiding under a rock.

[1FinickyOne]

If you factor in bonuses of $350MM for the airline bosses, then it might make more sense... I don't know, just speculating but profit and loss statements don't always tell the story... it is just one stat of many.

And so it goes with most other stats... easily manipulated to paint pictures... as are newspaper stories on every subject.

[wprime]

If you factor in bonuses of $350MM for the airline bosses, then it might make more sense... I don't know, just speculating but profit and loss statements don't always tell the story... it is just one stat of many.

And so it goes with most other stats... easily manipulated to paint pictures... as are newspaper stories on every subject.

Air Asia lost a plane in Dec/14, it's likely the costs of that are still pouring over their p/l statements.

[jadee]

I'm not an 'armchair expert' but I did read a recent news report that may help connect the dots between Thailand moving to clean energy and coal import increasing. A US company, I think Chevron, is looking to sell it's stake in offshore gas exploration in Thailand. Obviously it wouldn't sell if prospects were good. The report noted that Thailand only has around 6-9 years of natural gas supplies left before it has to increase imports from places like Malaysia. The government is trying to shift towards renewable energy to plug the gap but is having to rely on fossil fuels such as coal to make up the difference. There are many stories about woes in the oil sector being published all the time, just today there's an article about hotel demand in Rayong plummeting due to companies related to oil refining cutting their budgets.

[elgordo38]

I'm not an 'armchair expert' but I did read a recent news report that may help connect the dots between Thailand moving to clean energy and coal import increasing. A US company, I think Chevron, is looking to sell it's stake in offshore gas exploration in Thailand. Obviously it wouldn't sell if prospects were good. The report noted that Thailand only has around 6-9 years of natural gas supplies left before it has to increase imports from places like Malaysia. The government is trying to shift towards renewable energy to plug the gap but is having to rely on fossil fuels such as coal to make up the difference. There are many stories about woes in the oil sector being published all the time, just today there's an article about hotel demand in Rayong plummeting due to companies related to oil refining cutting their budgets.

Thank you your the first to comment on the second part.

[Brer Fox]

I'm not an 'armchair expert' but I did read a recent news report that may help connect the dots between Thailand moving to clean energy and coal import increasing. A US company, I think Chevron, is looking to sell it's stake in offshore gas exploration in Thailand. Obviously it wouldn't sell if prospects were good. The report noted that Thailand only has around 6-9 years of natural gas supplies left before it has to increase imports from places like Malaysia. The government is trying to shift towards renewable energy to plug the gap but is having to rely on fossil fuels such as coal to make up the difference. There are many stories about woes in the oil sector being published all the time, just today there's an article about hotel demand in Rayong plummeting due to companies related to oil refining cutting their budgets.

I have also heard similar. Gf says her daughter who has a Thai engineer boyfriend working for some sort of gas/oil rig outfit says they are dismissing staff all the time. Seems like the curtain is coming down on Thailand. Someone ring the bell!

[WishWashMan]

clean energy is is buffalo feces.

nana bars are choking from lack of customers.

watermelon covered with saran wrap then secured with scotch tape. how much ernergy is used to produce that tape? khao jai mai...............lol.

or mc d puts burger in paper bag then in plastic bag. what a waste.

Edited June 2, 2016 by WishWashMan

[jeab1980]

(Mr)

"TAT says that tourism is up by 10% and passing 30 million yet today Air Asia came out with their annual report posting a 365 MILLION loss???? With reduce fuel costs most airlines are making money hand over fist. I understand the government is not to happy with this"

The 3 statements here are not related at all.

Air asia hasn't got the monopoly on routes in fact it's routes are pretty poor IMHO.

Tourism is on the up end of conversation on that point.

airlines are making money hand over fist well not according to air Asia!!!

How can the government not be happy with an airline thats not making money???